A 'Kiss' Of vampires
by Storm13
Summary: Comicverse: BLade meets a fellow vampire slayer, but vampires aren't the only thing she hunts. When the seven interfere, things get complicated. Rated for pretty much everything but drugs use..


A Kiss of Vampires.  
  
Rating: R...for language, strong violence and possible sexual references (probably nothing explicit)  
Summary: Comic verse (because their aren't enough of these) after the events of V5SF (Blade #5) Blade meets another vampire slayers. She's very human, but it's not just vampires she's hunting...and since the seven can't seem to keep their noses out of anything lately, life is getting very complicated for both of them.  
Disclaimer: Blade and all recognizable characters belong to marvel, I'm not making any money out of this so you can't sue me. Jessica Burcavi however belongs to me, and I shall be a very unhappy person if you use her without my permission...I'll let her use her hooked daggers on you, and be warned their VERY painful. Arachmoths are also my invention.  
Archive: Yes please, just ask.  
A/N: Review! Pretty, pretty please? Constructive criticism welcome, but no flames. This is my first Blade fanfic and it's based on the new marvel max titles...so yes :gasp: the comics, because I like the comics better than the film but that's just me. Also I'm playing around with the universe a bit, and adding both other elements of the marvel collective (eg mutants may be mentioned along with other marvel superheroes) and elements of other books, specifically Anita Blake and my Dungeons and Dragons 'Monster Manual', however since all I included was the monster, it's not enough to make this a crossover. With that said let's get on to the story...read and enjoy!  
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The sun was low over the rooftops of NYC, setting the sky on fire, with red and orange and purple a myriad of colours swirled across the sky, as I stopped the bike. I agree with that girl in that movie...'A Beautiful Mind' if there's a god, he's a painter, why else would he make o many colours? And how else would we get such beautiful sunsets? I Dismount from the motorbike, and look around the car park of 'Fofo's security emporium' ('Be safe not dead')'  
It's good to be back, I've missed NYC, but sometimes a girl just has to lay low for a while. I cross the car park, pulling my leather coat tighter against the cold, fall's moving into winter now, I left at the beginning of the summer, when it was so hot you couldn't walk around the block without a change of clothes. Instantly I want to be back on the bike, with the vibrating hum of the motor beneath me taking me somewhere warm. The coat slaps the back of my leg, just above the knee, as the tapping of my heeled, mid calf boots sets a brisk paced rhythm on the pavement.  
  
I enter the shop, rub my too pale hands together, spend the summer in California and I still can't get a tan, and curse the cold under my breath, still trying to warm my fingers. Looking around the interior of the shop for the man I came out here in the cold to see. He's nowhere in sight, figures, I should have told him I was coming back to NYC, there is however a fat, balding white man sitting behind the counter  
"Fofo round back?" I ask  
"Yes miss, if you'll wait a few minutes I'm sure he'll be right out" He with the fake enthusiasm that seemed to plague all sales clerks, not even bothering to look up from his paper.  
I really hate salesmen, and I really hate fake people, the two are not mutually exclusive, or at least not in my mind, but perhaps I'm too quick to judge.... nah. "No need I'll just go find him," I reply. Sounding as sweet as I possibly can, Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth sweet...right. I walk towards the back warehouse...conveniently ignoring the sign above the door that said "PRIVATE" in large letters  
  
"Miss you can't go back there!" The man insists, Jumping to his feet...hey at least he's put that stupid paper down now, unfortunately he moves quickly to put himself between me and the door...bother, bother, bother.  
"I go back there all the time!" I protest, wishing it was one of the sales clerks that actually knew me for one of Fofo's personal friends "just use the intercom, ask Fofo, tell him it's Jessica" I say, trying my best to make my voice sound as reasonable as possible through my exasperation.  
"If you'll just wait a few moments," The man says again, I sigh and roll my eyes this is getting monotonous. The man seems to take the that sigh for submission to what in his mind is inevitable as I look round the room...Screw it really, I wanna be out of here before it gets dark and before it gets any colder.  
  
"OH fuck this," I growl, ducking under his arm before he even has time to react  
"MISS!" he yells as I run past him and through the doorway into the warehouse he takes off after me, but I'm a lot more accustomed to running than he is, a lot fitter too...in my job it's a prerequisite for survival. I look back at him, watching his futile pursuit and debate saying something nasty, when I hit something...or rather someone, hard.  
  
'Stupid, stupid, stupid Jessica, why don't you look where your going?' I think as I sit up, removing my head from the floor and glancing up at the person who just halted my path bodily. He's tall, but then from my point of view that isn't saying much, at 5,0 most people tower over me, Half of them think I'm 18 too. Even Fofo is bigger than me, and he isn't exactly Michel Jordan. The man I'd ran into however, was 6,2 if he was an inch, with skin as black as ebony, an outfit (Black leather, black pants, black sweater) that resembled my own rather closely and a pair of shades that looked completely ridiculous in this weather. The contrast between him my tiny, raven-haired form was frankly laughable. I stare up at him; He's sort of attractive I guess if you're into the stereotypical "Strong silent type". I raise cobalt blue eyes, to stare at the lenses of his shades, I can't read his eyes, Can't have even the slightest idea what he's thinking, and it bothers me.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" it took me a minute to realize he'd spoken, but before I could formulate a suitably smart aleck response that would conserve my reputation and stop me looking like a complete idiot, Fofo came to my rescue. He appeared round the back of Mister tall dark of silent, his hands were bandaged. I didn't register that right at first, then I wondered who did it too him and if they were dead yet, if not they would be soon. I was angry, and hurt without knowing why. Fofo' had always had such beautiful hands; hands that could make anything, quick, nimble agile hands that reflected his personality. I'd never been attracted to Fofo but someone damaging his hands was like someone burning a Cézanne, they were works of art. Of course he could have hurt them himself...but I doubted that, Fofo wasn't the kind to be clumsy or careless...especially with his hands.  
"Leave her blade, she's cool," Fofo said, "that goes for you too man," he added nodding to the cashier.  
  
I pick myself up with as much dignity as I can muster, squashing my embarrassment beneath my usual "I could care so much less" Attitude. I look round, My gaze ice cold and distant, a perfectly constructed mask to protect myself against the dangers of the life I lead...I look politely bored...sometimes you can't show any emotion even when people are torturing your best friends in front of you eyes, not that that's happened to me yet, I'm to protective of my best friends, but it's not like I've never watched torture. Not like I condone it either, but sometimes silence is the best possible course of action, no matter how much you hate it.  
  
"So Jessie where the hell you been?" Fofo asks "ain't seen ya round for months?"  
I heave a great sigh "Eh ...you remember that last job I was on? Well, I managed to really piss of the local Ulfric, and the whole friggin' pack wanted my head...so I thought it was best to skip town for a while. Went to see some friends in Cali"  
He nods knowingly.  
"So who's mister tall dark and silent?" I quip, ignoring the fact that mister tall dark and silent is glaring at me, I know Fofo mentioned the name before but I was more concerned with who I'd bumped into and not looking like a complete ruddy idiot at the time.  
Fofo chuckles "Jessica this is Blade, Blade this is Jessica Burcavi, she's one crazy bitch but she's cool"  
I snort derogatively, "Gee thanks" I say with all the sarcasm I can manage "...so you're blade huh, the day-walker?"  
Blade looks at Fofo as if questioning how the hell I know who he is...he doesn't know he's famous... how droll.  
  
It's my turn to chuckle "Please your name may not be available to the general public...but every self respecting vampire hunter knows who you are, I'm honoured I'm sure" I mange to say that last part as if I'm talking to the postman, but inwardly I am impressed with this guy's record  
Blade grunts, "You hunt suckheads?"  
I grin broadly "among other things"  
He stares at me like I've walked off mars  
"You want a list?" I ask sweetly.  
He seems to consider this a moment while Fofo stays out of things then he nods once, decisively, and locks at me as if he's analysing me.  
I take a deep breath and start reciting at top speed, just as you do when reciting a list from memory. "Vamps, werewolves, ghouls, zombies, TRYKS" I spit the word out of my mouth as quickly as possible, and Blade give me a sort of half smile as if I've just scored a point maybe he shares my opinions on the cocksuckers "TROLLS, lamias, nagas, Arachmoths... don't even get me started on Arachmoths my god I'm never going near those things again, Hellcats... MNPGH" I'm interrupted by a large black hand across my mouth, I growl step back and continue as if nothing had happened, well not quite, "do that again and I'll bite you anyway, shadows mastiffs occasionally pop up and someone once tried to get me to exorcise a ghost but I don't do them." I cross my arms over my chest daring him to find something wrong with my monologue, other than it's length  
  
"You done?" Blade says after a moment, seemingly mildly amused.  
"I'm done" I grin ruefully...well he did ask for a list  
"So basically you're a hitman for supernatural nasties?" He says, summing up.  
"I prefer the term 'Bounty Hunter' but yes, that's me" I reply.  
"Where do you find customers?" he asked, seemingly genuinely curious, so I try and give him a genuine answer.  
"You'd be surprised not all us humans are the cattle vamps like to think we are, Vamps are mostly for pleasure but I've taken a couple of jobs from the seven" he frowns, obviously he's met the seven, probably doesn't like Mr. Timothy...neither do I to be honest but he pays well "Just to keep them off my back, god I wished they'd mind their business but they pay good, I'm not a charity organization. Same for Tryks, but I avoid them when I can, trolls, you'd be surprised how many there are near the Rockies, lamias are secretive but they can be a problem when they feel like mating, generally attack isolated towns and someone calls me. Nagas are guardian monster; generally show up in old houses. Ghouls and zombies are generally in cemeteries, I'm not going into Arachmoths, Hell cats and Shadow mastiffs are like demonic dogs and kitty cats, and like I said I don't do ghosts, werewolves normally don't bother people unless they've got a rogue. Most of my werewolf jobs are other werewolves who don't want their paws dirty but want the target dead for political reasons. Which is why I had to skip town" I looked at Fofo then, "I backed the wrong horse on that race. Heck sometimes people don't even know what their dealing with they just know that something weird going on and want me to come in and see if I can deal with it"  
  
Blade nods "what the hell are Lamias and Nagas ...and Arachmoths," I presume he gets the others, but from what I've heard Blade's very specific with his kills. Vamps only, unless he's killed Tryks lately... which seems pretty likely from the way he reacted to my hatred of them. I sigh,   
"Specifics are all very well Blade but generalities pay better, like I said I'm not a charity organization. The reason you don't find them is your not looking for them, but I'm not lecturing you're the best at your trade I'm the best at Mine. Lamias are sort of like weresnakes and very, very dangerous, Their bite is poisonous, extremely, you end up bleeding through every orifice...I got a superficial bite once and although that didn't happen to me I was laid up for weeks, hurt like a sonnova bitch! Nagas are snakes with human heads, generally guarding a house, treasure or piece of property. Arachmoths generally live in caves...don't pop up very often...only in certain lunar phases on leap years, which means they'll be around this year, unfortunately...Their a sorta of giant spider/moth crossbreed, spin webs in dark secluded caves, eat spelunkers, and their just...really, really UGH" I'm babbling, I really need to stop that, it's a bad habit. I accompany that last remark with a wave of my hand, pushing back bad memories... I really hate Arachmoths, I'm not a bug person and I have some really bad memories of webs sticking to me and...I shove the thought away, screwing my face up in disgust, Blade doesn't say anything...smart man   
  
Fofo comes back from whatever shelf he was hiding behind a few moments back, I hardly noticed he was gone, and my eyes narrow to slits again when those ugly, ugly bandages come back into view   
"So" he says, "now you too are finished talking shop, what can I do for ya Jessie?"  
"Just the usual...I need some silver bullets, garlic rounds, and can I get another firestar...I feel naked without it."  
"You lost the firestar?"  
"And the browning on the last mission got the browning back after I kicked the guys butt, then I had to leave before I got the firestar back  
"Those were the only ones you lost? Fuck Jessica you never use the firestar you're a fucking walking armoury... why do you care about it, you got the Browning, the derringer, the mini Uzi the sawn of shotgun, not counting those fucking enormous knives of yours."  
"I need some more throwing daggers too, not all of us have the advantage of being half vampire... besides they're all loaded with different bullets"  
"But you can only put nine in the firestar!"  
"You can never have to much weaponry...and besides what do you care you make money out of it?"  
"She has a point"  
"Fine your all against me, got most of the stuff for you right now but I need to melt the pellets for the silver... "  
"I'll pick them up tomorrow, gotta get home now... if I still have an apartment. Then I'll be out all night, so don't expect me to be in early"  
"Hunting?"  
"What else...that and renewing old contacts"  
"I'll see you round Fofo" Blade says...and we walk out together... not talking or even acknowledging each other. As soon as we're outside in the car park I start to feel cold again, the wind's picked up, blowing the first of autumns leaves across our path  
There's only two bikes out here, his and mine, mine's nearer, but only just. We walk over and I sit on the seat of my bike, catching his arm as he walks by  
"What happened to Fofo's hands?" I say...immediately regretting it as pain and...Guilt? Flash across his face...replaced by a sullen, sulky look that makes me feel as if m presence is somehow resented, without knowing why.   
"A little vamp bitch bit his fingers off" He replies as I hold his gaze.  
'Ah and I'm guessing the reason for your behaviour is cos she was doing it to get to you or something...fair enough we'll avoid that part of the conversation' I think to myself, aloud I say "Did you Kill her?"  
"Yes" he replies his voice low and almost angry "of course I killed her!" hovers unspoken in the air.  
I close my eyes briefly "Good" I reply suddenly, letting go of his arm, not like I could have stopped him if he tried to break my grasp but anyway... I swing my leg over the seat of the bike. I pause, for some bizarre reason I can't just ride off like this, too confrontational. For some reason I'm haunted by a rare impulse to reach out to this man. Me reaching out is a very rare thing, but something says this guy needs a friend. Well that's not fair he has Fofo, but something tells me...god I don't know, my minds going I've been in California too long, I'm losing my edge. I don't know why I...God I'm fucked up...but I can't end my conversation and perhaps the entirety of my involvement in this man's life with the word "good" it just doesn't feel right to me... He's walking away from me.  
  
"Blade" I say, can't stop myself, he turns round and now I HAVE to say something, "Happy hunting, I'll see you around sometime"  
He grunts something can't quite hear, sounds almost like "maybe," yeah maybe makes sense.  
"It wasn't your fault," I whisper, hearing him gun his bike. I follow suit, gunning my own bike, grateful for the small warmth the engine generates.   
  
I wheel out of that parking lot...expecting never to see him again.  
  
But goddamnit if he isn't the most interesting man I've ever met. 


End file.
